Land of Purity
by Kashou-Tori
Summary: I apologize, but I am discontinuing this story. I'll still keep November Ashes up, though.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter One~

Standing at the edge of the cliff, she looked back at her city. Her long, embroidered dress flew in the wind, and the crown atop her head sparkled in the sunlight. Her lengthy, flowing copper hair waved in the breeze, as her sea foam-jade eyes closed to a half-lid. The mahogany cloak wrapped around her shoulders whipped wildly left and right, as she turned to fully face her city. Her home. Currently bursting into flames in her colorful imagination. Although the city was peaceful, she wished it would fall at any moment. So, whispering a soft goodbye in the tongue of Italian, she unfurled her golden wings and flew into the sky.

"Wait--!" she swore she heard somebody scream.

She put it into the imagination category. She soared through the sky, twisting and spiraling, catching updrafts in the wind. She flew about three more paces, then swooped down to the forest floor and retracted her wings. She tried to move forward, but her movements were restricted by her long gown. So, she hatched a brilliant idea. She took her shining crown off of her head, and used it to cut the dress, so it came down to her knees. She also tore the long sleeves off of the dress, and then placed the crown back on her dainty head delicately. Then, she trudged through the forest, pushing away branches and stray vines. Suddenly, she heard a twig break behind her. She reached into the travel bag that was perched upon her shoulder agilely, pulled out a sharp, jeweled dagger, and twirled around in a defensive position.

She came face-to-face with a man sitting upon a pure white horse, with a bow and arrow set to shoot. A quiver of arrows lay on the man's back as well as the skin and fur of some animal.

"Who are you?" demanded the man, as he held his bow at his side. His horse snorted, and pawed at the dirt beneath it's hooves.

The girl shifted, and stared at the man with cold, determined eyes.

"I am not stupid enough to tell my name to a complete and total stranger, sir Knight," she said briskly, raising her dagger, causing the light from the sun to reflect off of it and into her eyes, making them unbelievably green.

The man chuckled, as if he found her temper amusing. He put his bow down on the saddle that was strapped onto his horse, and placed the arrow he had back into his quiver. Then, he got off of his horse, and stood a couple of feet away from the girl.

"I admire your brutishness, Milady. I am a trustworthy man, I assure you. My name is Jacob. Jacob Vagabond." Jacob said, making a slight bow.

The girl still stood in her defense, as if evaluating Jacob's person. Then, she straightened to a more friendly posture and put away her dagger.

"You have earned my trust, sir Vagabond," she said."my name is Annabelle Roy."

Annabelle took a slight bow as well. Jacob paused for a minute, as if having a mental argument, and his eyes widened a fraction. He put his palm over his head, and his brow creased in confusion.

"Wait...Roy? Isn't that the royal family name? That makes you...the princess of Eternia!?" he exclaimed.

Annabelle rolled her eyes and sat down on a nearby rock.

"If I knew you would treat me as royalty, I wouldn't have told you my last name," she stated.

She took the gemmed crown off of her head, and threw it into the lake just ahead of her and Jacob. Then she shifted her sea foam eyes to her travel bag, and reached into it to pull out her dagger. Clutching it tightly, she raised it behind her head, aware of Jacob tracing her every moment. Pushing the blade against her nape of her neck, she cut off all of her long hair, leaving it a short copper bob. Annabelle heard Jacob choke on his surprise, and laughed quietly. She folded her hands in her lap, and stared silently out at the lake before her.

"You see, sir Knight, I am an independent woman, far unlike those superficial women in the noble status. Royalty, wealth, fame; they are meaningless to me. As long as I get to live my life the way I dream it shall be lived, I am an ecstatic person." she said, dipping her hands into the water.

Jacob watched her with his mouth gaping open. He knew it was rude, but he wasn't exactly paying attention to that fact. He thought it peculiar that she had no interest in money, since every woman he knew was obsessed with gold and valuable things. A strange emotion tugged at Jacob's heart, and his hands clenched into tight fists. Annabelle pulled her hands from the cool water, and ran them through her hair to get them dry again. She then shifted her gaze to Jacob, and her brow raised in confusion.

"Why are you looking at me as if in the thrill of a chase, sir Vagabond?" she questioned, a slight smirk blooming on her pale face.

Jacob's face flushed, and he looked to the side in embarrassment. He walked toward his whinnying horse, and jumped up to mount it.

"Where are you headed, princess?" he asked bluntly, trying to change the subject.

Annabelle, completely aware of Jacob's intentions, chuckled and arose from the rock she was perched upon.

"I would appreciate it if you would not call me princess," she said."for I no longer wish to carry that title."

Annabelle picked off her cut-off hair, and, clutching it in her hand, raised it to the sky. She opened her hand, and let the copper locks fly in the breeze. Then, she picked up her forgotten dagger, pushed it into her travel bag and started to walk away through the thick forest. Jacob looked after her in surprise, not believing that she would daring enough to journey through the forest on her own.

"Hey, wait! Will you not consider allowing me to escort you to your destination?" he called after Annabelle.

Annabelle looked back at Jacob and slightly smiled. She turned back, and walked towards him.

"Do you not trust my sense of direction, sir Vagabond?" she asked.

Jacob winced lightly, and looked at Annabelle's approaching form.

"It's not that. It's just that I...would feel un-eased, knowing that a woman, even if not of royal birth, was roaming the forest by herself. At least grant me the permission to ride you into the mainland," he explained.

Annabelle couldn't decide. Would she go with this handsome, promising stranger, or find the city herself? She didn't have long to decide, however, because someone was lurking in the shadows, and he was hungry for bloodshed...


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter two~

Annabelle woke up with a screaming headache. She moaned in pain, and sat up slowly. Looking around, she observed her surroundings carefully. She didn't know where she was at all. Out of the shadows, a man in iron armor trudged up and knocked her to the ground, and yelled something in Russian at her. She groaned as her limp body hit the musty, hard floor, and rubbed the dust from the dust from her eyes with much difficulty, seeing as her hands were bound with strong rope. Then, she just noticed that Jacob was right next to her, laying and out cold. Annabelle found herself blushing lightly from their close proximity.

"This wouldn't have happened if I'd just been an intelligent and traveled alone," she whispered to herself.

She then turned to Jacob. "Fool. Wake up!" she hissed between her teeth.

Jacob stirred slightly, but stayed unconscious. Annabelle growled, annoyed. She turned over and looked at the jail cell that she and Jacob were locked in. The guard was quickly approaching them, so Annabelle turned around again and closed her eyes to feign sleep. The guard took out a gigantic ring of keys, and selected one from the bunch. He pushed the key into the keyhole of the cell, and heaved open the heavy metal door. He walked over to Annabelle and grabbed her by her hair, pulling her up roughly.

"Come to, miserable wench!" the guard shouted at her, his English accent thick.

Annabelle opened her eyes and gritted her teeth in pain. Tears gathered in her eyes as she was thrown against the brick innings of the cell. She looked over at Jacob, but got blinded when her own blood seeped into her eyes. Annabelle hissed at the powerful sting, and blinked rapidly to clear her vision. The guard was towering over Jacob menacingly, getting ready to brutishly awaken him. Annabelle's burning eyes widened in fear.

"No--!" she yelled, her voice slightly cracking. She jumped into a standing position and ran into the guard, her shoulder thumping the side of his neck, sending him, flailing, to the ground. The guard gasped in shock and pain, and glared at Annabelle from his spot on the floor. Annabelle knelt beside Jacob.

"_Svegliarsi, stupido allocco!(1)_" she yelled.

Jacob's eyes fluttered open quickly, and he looked up at Annabelle in shock.

"Did you just curse?" he asked in disbelief.

Annabelle visibly twitched, and picked him up by the collar of his shirt.

"That is all you can muster in that big head of yours?" she screeched.

Suddenly, Annabelle was knocked to the ground. She yelped in pain and clutched her bleeding head.

"Princess!" Jacob shouted as she was picked up by the Russian guard.

"Come on now, leeches," the guard said, pulling Annabelle forward by her hair again, and pulling Jacob along as well.

Tears slowly fell down Annabelle's pale cheek, as she bit her lip harshly. The guard dragged both of them into a hallway, and continued walking until he stopped in front of a big, maple door. Knocking on the door, the guard entered when a deep voice from within the room said,"Come in," He pushed Annabelle to the ground in a kneeling position, and she growled in response to the movement. The guard put Jacob in a chair, taking off his restraints, only to redo them so they were attached to the chair arms. A man sitting in an office-type chair looked at Annabelle and sneered. He rose from the chair and walked towards her. Annabelle looked up at him with emotionless eyes.

"What, I ain't good enough for a chair?" she asked, narrowing her eyes. "Rather keep a lady on the cold floor?"

The sound of his heels clacking on the floor halted as he reached her.

"Why, dear, you have quite the temper," he said, his tone dripping with false sweetness.

Annabelle snapped her teeth at him, and received a slap to the cheek in response. She yelped, and the man's hard fingers grasped her chin harshly. Jacob growled from the back of the room, straining against his bonds.

"Will you be a doll and tell me your name?" the man asked, his fingernails digging into her skin.

Annabelle glared menacingly at him, and hatched a quick plan.

"If you must know," she started slowly."...my name is Yowelflower."

The man grunted in frustration, and kicked her in the gut. "Your real name, mule."

Oops. Plan blown all to hell.

Annabelle laughed out loud, and shook her head.

"You caught me." she said, chuckling. "Nice thinking there, old timer. My name is Annabelle. Though Yowelflower is quite a nice name, and I wouldn't mind bearing it."

"I want your last name as well, inferior woman!" he yelled, striking Annabelle again with his foot.

Annabelle stared at him with cold eyes, and got her mind working.

_Okay, _she thought,_this man means business. I have to find a way to trick him efficiently. _Annabelle bit her lip in deep thought and concentration. _Wait! _She thought. _Karate lessons with Kei! Of course!_

Annabelle focused on the ropes that binded her arms together. Concentrating all of her strength and power to her arms, she started pushing outward. The rope snapped, and Annabelle rose quickly and got into her trademark defense position.

"You dare to call me inferior, you worthless piece of _merda(2)?_" she yelled, lunging toward the man.

She flipped forward and, supporting all of her weight on one hand placed on the ground, delivered a deadly kick to his abdomen. The man gagged and spit blood onto the expensive floor tile. Annabelle recoiled and ran towards the guard whom held Jacob captive. She punched him in the collar bone, hearing the sweet crack and his shriek of pain, then twirled around gracefully and kicked the side of his neck. The guard make a strange, cut-off scream, and fell to the floor in a state of comatose. Annabelle went to Jacob, and started untying his bonds to the chair.

"You know, you are being kind of useless," she chuckled, despite their current situation.

Jacob scoffed. "And you are putting too much responsibility and pressure on yourself," he retorted.

"Hmmm...touche." Annabelle said as she removed the bindings from Jacob's wrists.

A creak on the floor caught Annabelle's attention, and she turned around. Her eyes widened, and she put her hand over her mouth.

"Oh, come _on,_" she groaned, looking at the bloody person standing before her."You have _got _to be kidding. Why can't you antagonists just stay down _once you are put down?_"

(1)= "Wake up, stupid ass!" (me: Heh. My favorite line. :P)

(2)= merda= shit

Btw, all these things in a different language are Italian. :)


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter three~

Biting her lip until she tasted the metallic flavor of blood, Annabelle gazed at the Russian guard standing before her, a gun in his hand.

"Put up thy hands and surrender, rebels!" he yelled, cocking the gun.

Annabelle's hands trembled as she evaluated the situation. Then she got a brilliant idea. Her hand sought Jacob's and gave it a squeeze.

"Sir Vagabond," she whispered."be ready. I am getting us out of this hell hole."

Jacob nodded, standing completely still. Annabelle focused on the power inside of her and then narrowed her eyes at the guard. Her gaze was intoxicating; her eye color slowly moved in a spiral, then disappeared as a periwinkle shade merged with it. Jacob gasped at the beautiful process, and the result. The golden wings protruded from Annabelle's back, and she grabbed Jacob and flew to the nearest window. A bullet wedged itself in her shoulder, and she let out a soft, inaudible cry of pain. Annabelle pushed her hand forward, and smashed the glass of the window. Jacob and her flew away, laughing at the Russian man having a temper tantrum down at the kidnap site. They sailed through the air gracefully, Annabelle not even struggling to support Jacob's body weight. She looked to her left, and spotted a small village filled with people who, from her altitude, looked like ants. She swooped down in that direction swiftly, flapping her wings up once to avoid crashing into the land as she reached the rocky terrain. Jacob let go of her to examine their surroundings. While he wasn't looking, Annabelle reached up to her shoulder and extracted the bullet that had been placed there. She yelped quietly, but it was loud enough to catch Jacob's attention.

"What is wrong, princess?" he asked, stalking to where she stood.

Annabelle flushed. "I tripped over an overgrown branch, is all. I am quite alright."

"I find that hard to believe."

"Well, damn. That makes two of us."

Jacob scowled. "Geez, you women. Is your ego controlling you?"

"As far as you know, an evil queen from Plagaria is controlling me."

Jacob's scowl deepened. "And I am a sugar plum fairy. Now, what's really--" then, he noticed her bloody shoulder."That...is so obvious. I feel very dumb."

Annabelle blinked, then looked at her shoulder, also just noticing that the blood had spread considerably.

"Ah," she said, blinking again."I...can fix this. I really can. Just give me a bandage, clean water, and a quiche."

Jacob laughed. "Why a quiche?"

"Why _not _a quiche?" she retorted, answering his question with another.

Jacob laughed. "Let me assist you," he said, walking farther towards her.

When he was a foot or two away from her, he froze. His pupils dilated

dangerously.

"Better yet...I should not invade your space. Here," he handed her a bandage that he got from the belt around his hips."Bandage yourself."

Annabelle stared at him as he walked away to sit in front of an oak tree. _What's his issue, I wonder? _She thought to herself. She shrugged, and reached into her travel bag to retrieve her bottle of water. She uncapped it, and poured some water over her shoulder. The cool sensation it created was delightful. Annabelle ripped one strip from her dress, and used it to wipe the blood from her shoulder. She then wrapped the bandage on her shoulder tightly, so that pressure was on the wound. She sighed in bliss and looked over at Jacob. She walked over to him and sat beside him, noticing how his body became rigid at her presence.

"Are you alright, sir Vagabond?" she asked hesitantly.

Jacob stared at her, then at her shoulder. His eyes were glowing slightly, and he sighed as if in relief. "Quite."

Annabelle smiled. "You know...you don't have to escort me. As you have recently found out, I can take care of myself."

Her wings were still out, and she spread them out, enjoying the way the wind rippled through each and every individual feather. Jacob watched her with a heavy gaze.

"I would like to accompany you. If that is okay," he responded.

"That is fine with me. Accompany me if you will," she said, rising to her feet.

Jacob stood as well, then followed Annabelle as she began walking towards the village they had noticed. After ten minutes or so of walking had passed, the pair came to a sign staked in the mud that read,"Welcome to Craysville, friendliest village in Eternia! Population:783." Taking that as good luck, they started forward into the village. Friendly faces looked toward them, and they smiled. Annabelle looked at the various shops, and Jacob was staring at her. Suddenly, Annabelle stopped.

"Okay," she said."We really need some new apparel. We look like a couple of hoodlums."

Jacob looked at his dirty, ripped clothes, and chuckled."Yes, I agree."

Annabelle did a 360, and looked back at Jacob.

"We'll split up for now." here, she handed Jacob a handful of gold. "We'll meet up in the town center in two hours. Buy anything you believe to be necessary."

Jacob looked doubtful about splitting up, but complied with the plan anyways. He and Annabelle walked in different directions then, after saying goodbye to each other. Annabelle walked into a casual clothes store, filled with people browsing the wares. She walked toward the shirts, and bought a patterned purple shirt. She then stalked over to the pants, and selected a pair of tan slacks with a strange rough texture. She also got a pair of dark tan boots that went up to her knees, and they also laced up. Annabelle walked up to the cashier and paid for her choices. Walking out of the store, she looked at her wrist at her silver watch. _Great, _she thought, _about an hour left. Better go change into these clothes. _She walked to a local store, and went toward the restroom. A strange man glanced at Annabelle out of the corner of his eye, and she froze. She looked at him, and their eyes met. His eyes were a peculiar gray-blue color, almost like looking through a mirror. He started walking toward her, and Annabelle shivered and ran to the women's restroom. She got into a stall and slammed the door, locking it in the process.

_Cold, _she thought. _His eyes were so cold. It felt as if he was looking right through me. Like he __**knew **__who I was._

Annabelle quivered and took out all of her purchased items. She reached behind her to pull the zipper to her dress down, and stepped out of it. She balled it up and shoved it into her travel bag. She took out the purple shirt and pulled it on over her head. She took out the tan pants, slipped them on, and buttoned them delicately. Then she took out the boots, stuffed her pant legs into them, and laced them up securely. Annabelle unlocked the door, and exited the stall. She walked up to the sink and turned the hot water on. She put her hands under the spray and used her now wet hands to clean the blood and grime off her face. Annabelle then left the restroom and walked quickly out of the store, trying to avoid the man with the cold eyes. She ran down the street, looking at shops as she passed by. She stopped in front of a barber shop and looked at the various hair dyes kept safely inside. Annabelle opened the door and walked toward the dyes. She selected a smooth midnight blue dye, and purchased it from the sleazy-looking cashier. She ran out of the store and checked the watch on her wrist.

_Great, I only have five minutes to make it to the town's center. Have to hurry! _She thought to herself.

She spun around and sprinted off in the direction of the town center. She dodged holes in the makeshift road, swerved around people, and jumped over a fallen branch. Surprisingly, Annabelle made it to the town center just in time. Looking through the crowd, she spotted Jacob sitting under the shade of a big willow tree.

"Sir Vagabond!" she called out to him as she started to run toward the tree.

Jacob looked up, and his eyes widened. He raised up from his spot under the tree and bowed clumsily. Annabelle reached him and bent over with her hands on her knees to catch her breath.

"That...was...certainly adrenaline...raising," she huffed as she took a seat under the willow tree.

Jacob chuckled and sat down next to her. "You look wonderful, my Lady. Casual clothes suit you well."

Annabelle blushed slightly, and looked at Jacob's choice of clothing.

He was wearing a long-sleeved cream-colored shirt, black pants, and cream-colored boots that went up to his mid-calf.

"And you look...the same as you did before. Those are the exact same clothes you were wearing before, except they are new!" she exclaimed.

Jacob chuckled and rubbed his head sheepishly.

"I figured that we only needed new clothes. I wasn't paying much attention to appearances...heh," he said.

Annabelle visibly sweat-dropped and sighed. "You certainly are a unique character, sir Vagabond," she mumbled.

Jacob laughed, and his eyes twinkled. Annabelle took great pleasure in just staring at them. Jacob's eyes were a light brown, almost a chestnut color, with a strange silver ring around the pupil. AKA, to Annabelle, they were intoxicating. Suddenly, Jacob stood. Annabelle followed suit, wondering what they were standing for. Jacob gazed at her, as if in a trance, then shook his head and looked at the village.

"W-well, we'd better find a place to stay, my Lady. We've nowhere to go," he stuttered.

Annabelle, paying no attention to his word stumble, nodded in agreement. She looked around the village, and a certain woman caught her eye. _Hmmm..._ she thought, _she looks very familiar. Is she...? No. That is impossible._

She walked up to said woman, motioning to a confused Jacob to stay where he was, and tapped her on her shoulder. The woman turned around, revealing a beautiful face with only one flaw. A puckered scar ran over her left eye, forever swelling it shut. Annabelle gasped.

"Liliam! Your name is Liliam, correct?" she asked excitedly.

The woman's eyes widened, and she held her shoulders, as if cold. "Um, yes. Yes it is. Do I..." here, the woman inhaled. "Oh, saints! Annabelle?"

Annabelle closed her eyes, and nodded happily. Liliam put her hands over her mouth, and tears streamed down her face. She lunged at Annabelle, enveloping her in her arms, sobbing into her neck. Jacob chose this moment to run over, and he looked quizzically between Annabelle and Liliam. Annabelle smiled sincerely, closed her eyes, and laid her head on top of Liliam's.

"Oh, Belle, how I missed you! So much...so much..." Liliam sobbed.

Annabelle grinned and chuckled at this. She wrapped her arms around Liliam and held her close.

"It's your fault for leaving the castle, Lili. I missed you too," she whispered.

After a couple minutes of friendly reunion, Annabelle, Liliam and Jacob all went towards the willow tree.

"So...why did you choose to leave? I didn't think you were shameful at all," Annabelle said as they all sat down under the tree.

Jacob stared from Annabelle to Liliam, a 'what the hell?' expression on his face. Annabelle sent him a look and he frowned, retreating from their slight mental battle.

Liliam giggled. "You two are quite the couple," she chirped.

Annabelle blushed. Jacob wiggled his eyebrows, and she hit him, laughing. Jacob laughed as well. "It's not like that, Lili," Annabelle said, chuckling. "I just met him. Anyways, you were about to tell me why you left?"

Liliam sighed, and folded her hands in her lap.

"Well," she started. "It was at the beginning of the war. I made a mistake. I rather not go any further than that, if it's alright."

Annabelle nodded. "Of course," she said.

Jacob nodded as well, smiling at Liliam warmly. Annabelle looked at him suspiciously. Suddenly, Liliam slightly shrieked.

"What?" Annabelle asked, on her feet in seconds, alert.

"Belle," Liliam whispered. "...your wings are still out."

Annabelle blinked, and looked behind her. Sure enough, her golden wings were there, sparkling in the sunlight. She gasped and retracted them.

"Gee, couldn't tell me earlier?" she asked Jacob, who shrugged and pulled off an innocent laughed.

Liliam chuckled, and soon they were all laughing, enjoying their time together.


End file.
